Free The Good Book by A. C. Grayling Page A

mansion and rang the bell.
    11. This time he was admitted. ‘Buy the necklace for the price asked,’ he said to the nobleman, ‘or return the necklace to me.’
    12. ‘What necklace?’ asked the nobleman, feigning surprise before those who stood about them in the reception hall. ‘I know of no necklace. You are trying to trick me; leave at once.’
    13. So the broker went to Adasnes the judge, and laid the case before him. Adasnes sent for the nobleman, and when he had arrived, he instructed him to remove one of his shoes, and then to wait in another room.
    14. Adasnes gave the shoe to the nobleman’s servant, who had been standing outside, and said, ‘Take this to your master’s wife, and say, My master asks for the necklace he brought home to you yesterday, so that he can show off its beauty to his friends.’
    15. The servant went, and the nobleman’s wife, seeing the shoe and therefore confident that the message was from her husband, gave the necklace to the servant.
    16. In this way the theft was proved, the necklace restored to the honest broker, and the nobleman punished for his crime.
     
    Chapter 10
      1. ‘Worthy judge,’ said the stranger, ‘who makes the truth come to light. This comes about by understanding the nature of men.’
      2. ‘True,’ Charicles said, ‘and nothing shows this better than the story of how Judge Adasnes dealt with a certain servant and a rich man’s son. The story is as follows.’
      3. There was a very wealthy merchant of this city, who had an only son. The son said to his father one day, ‘Father, send me on a voyage, that I might learn to trade, to see foreign lands, and to talk with men of wisdom, and learn from my experiences.’
      4. Pleased with this request, the father bought a full-bottomed ship, filled it with quality goods, and sent his son abroad with steady companions and sound words of advice.
      5. He himself remained at home with his servant, whom he trusted and who held the second place in his affection after his son.
      6. Some years after the son had gone abroad, with only rare messages to tell of his wanderings, the merchant was seized at the heart, and died before he had directed how his property was to be divided.
      7. The servant, by now passing himself off as the merchant’s son, took possession of everything, and lived thereafter as a wealthy man.
      8. Ten years passed, and the real son returned, his ship freighted with wealth many times greater than his father had given him on departing.
      9. But before the ship had weathered the treacherous cape beyond which the harbour’s mouth lay, a sudden storm blew up,
    10. And drove the ship onto the rocks, where it foundered, and everything was lost, goods and lives all, except for the son himself,
    11. Who struggled ashore, with nothing but the wet rags in which he had escaped death.
    12. He went to his father’s house, and entered; but the servant drove him away with harsh words, denying his identity, and calling him a beggar and imposter;
    13. Though in truth the servant knew who he was, but he had no intention to share the old merchant’s wealth with anyone; and was determined to claim himself the merchant’s son.
    14. The real son went to Adasnes the judge to lay his case before him. Adasnes said, ‘Bring the merchant’s heir before me too, who also says he is the son,’ and the servant was summoned.
    15. Then Adasnes said, ‘Go to the merchant’s grave, and dig up the bones; and bring them here to be burnt, as a posthumous punishment for making no will, and leaving his property to be a cause of strife.’
    16. The servant immediately rose in obedience to go to the grave, there to dig up the bones for burning;
    17. But the son also immediately rose and petitioned Adasnes, saying, ‘Let this servant keep everything; I would not disturb my father’s bones, or have him punished even in death.’
    18. ‘This proves that you are the true son,’ said Adasnes the judge. ‘Let all